Do people give you a hard time for being an adult toy collector?

[RBSprite82]

So I have just recently discovered the joy of collecting my childhood toys. I have always been nostalgic, but I never thought to buy back what I had (I guess I just mourned the loss of my friends lol) Anyway, I have started to love searching through yard sales and flea markets for something that sparks a memory.. but buying it is another story.. My husband thinks I'm NUTS! He hasn't been hateful about it, but he doesn't understand my new hobby and I wonder if anyone else thinks I'm crazy and just isn't saying so. I don't want to be a closet collector but no one I know shares my love of all things vintage and it makes it a little lonely sometimes. lol Have any of you been given a hard time for collecting toys? How do you deal with it, if so?

[TheMinorityof1990]

Yeah, my parents are always going on at me, saying they're worried about me because I'm 22 and still play. I mostly try to ignore them and tell myself it doesn't matter, because without toys, I'd be miserable.

[hime]

Oh Yeah My mother is seriously embarressed by my huge collection lol!(Granted I have nearlt 4,000 items so I can understand her space issues(Her usual escuse) but there's so much coolo stuff out there how can I refuse? lol!

[TheMinorityof1990]

My sentiments exactly

[RBSprite82]

Oh Yeah My mother is seriously embarressed by my huge collection lol!(Granted I have nearlt 4,000 items so I can understand her space issues(Her usual escuse) but there's so much coolo stuff out there how can I refuse? lol!

4,000! OMG! lol I don't actually play with anything, I just keep it because to me, it seems so sad that the toys that I loved when I was a child will be long forgotten before too long. =( haha Also, my Grandmother had a lot of dolls when I was a kid.. they were porcelain (blah) but I loved when she would let me hold them and tell me where they came from and how happy they made her as a child.. I want to share my childhood toys with my grandkids, too. =)

[luckdragon]

I collect a lot of stuff and don't care a bit about what people think.  My family's never given me any grief over it.  Some of them even buy things for my collections.

Seriously, I collect a lot of stuff:
Precious Moments dolls (over 200)
Hallmark Keepsake ornaments (796 currently)
Disney character ornaments (150 different Disney characters in ornament form)
My Child dolls (12)
Monopoly sets (only if I like them...I probably have 14 sets?)
Disney How to Draw books (over 20?)
Disney Storybook Collection anthologies (30 & I have no children; I just think they are beautifully done)

I'm considering collecting paper dolls too...

If it makes you happy and isn't illegal, forget what people think or say.

[RBSprite82]

I collect a lot of stuff and don't care a bit about what people think.  My family's never given me any grief over it.  Some of them even buy things for my collections.

Seriously, I collect a lot of stuff:
Precious Moments dolls (over 200)
Hallmark Keepsake ornaments (796 currently)
Disney character ornaments (150 different Disney characters in ornament form)
My Child dolls (12)
Monopoly sets (only if I like them...I probably have 14 sets?)
Disney How to Draw books (over 20?)
Disney Storybook Collection anthologies (30 & I have no children; I just think they are beautifully done)

I'm considering collecting paper dolls too...

If it makes you happy and isn't illegal, forget what people think or say.

Wow, I'm jealous of your collections! I actually love to collect ornaments, too. And I love the Disney storybooks! (You mean the big, square ones?) My son has three of them (Pixar, Halloween and Bedtime, I think) and they really are beautiful! I give away the Princess one to all the little girls I know, maybe I will get one for myself. =)

[luckdragon]

Yes, most of them are the official square shaped ones.  My favorite of that series is Disney's Americana Storybook Collection:
http://www.amazon.com/Disneys-Americana-Storybook-Collection-Collections/dp/0786834021/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347497803&sr=8-1&keywords=disney+americana+storybook+collection
See if you can pick out my Amazon reviewer name.

But it includes any anthology of 3 or more stories.  My absolute favorite is a gorgeous book called Disney's Treasury of Children's Classics.  I have 3 different copies of it.  1978 edition (has Song of the South in it which is very, very rare to find anything Song of the South.  Found it in a thrift store last year for $1), 1997 edition, and 2007 edition in purple.
The 1997 one is my favorite of the three:
http://www.amazon.com/Disneys-Treasury-Childrens-Classics-Pocahontas/dp/0786831693/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1347498192&sr=1-1&keywords=Disney%27s+Treasury+of+Children%27s+Classics

They are larger than the square ones and the pictures are beautiful inside.  They've done that collection several times.

Edit:  I did forget one collection of mine!  Mattel I Love Lucy dolls.  I have all of them except Christmas Show Ethel and Christmas Show Fred (and the Kelly ones, but I only wanted ones sculpted to look like the characters).  I used to collect collector Barbies too.  Gave that up since I lost interest.

[catlover51]

I have the opposite problem. My mom is a collection (books, toys, jewelry she doesn't wear, everything) hoarder. One aunt doesn't throw out anything including their trash. The other aunt (50 years old) only throws out her trash when her mother makes her because they live together. My grandparents and great aunt and uncle are collectors like me (our ocd hasn't turned that nasty corner that makes us hoarders).
I keep our place neat and tidy but my entire family likes to buy stuff for me so I have a shed FULL of stuff that I don't really want. (If anyone wants McD or other fast food toys let me know).
I have to just take a look around every now and then and make sure I have't 'turned'. 
Although some of the people I work with are a little taken aback when they see my collections.   

[Rider of the storm]

I have gotten a lot of wow cool from some people but other than that on one says anything. I keep it confined to only one book case so if my collection gets to large I will have to sell some of it off.

[ramallama]

I have never really had anyone give me a hard time for collecting toys.  My boyfriend and I both collect various toy lines so there is no problem there.  My family and friends seem to like it!  Everyone has their own interests and I don't think anyone should look down on toy collecting...even as an adult   I don't think I could ever live without my toy collection

[johnparker29]

I have began to really like looking through rummage revenue and open marketplaces for something that initiates a storage.. but purchasing it is another tale.. My spouse believes I'm NUTS! He hasn't been hateful about it, but he doesn't comprehend my new activity and I wonder if anyone else believes I'm insane and just isn't saying so.

[johnparker29]

I have began to really like looking through rummage revenue and open marketplaces for something that initiates a storage.. but purchasing it is another tale.. My spouse believes I'm NUTS! He hasn't been hateful about it, but he doesn't comprehend my new activity and I wonder if anyone else believes I'm insane and just isn't saying so.

[nsunshine]

where I come from, people give me a hard time because I come from a place where people really don't appreciate anything they have. Toys are my addiction, but most everyone's addictions around here leave bad feelings and they have nothing to show for it!!! And even though I have my own place for all my things, my mom still does not understand why I have to collect all that I do!!!

with a world of so much lies and ugliness, why not keep one's self surrounded by color and pretty little things of such! Besides my rationalization when people really get to questioning is that if anything should ever happen to me, my kids should be covered till they are 18, cause its an investment for their future (It really is their future though, cause I could never bear to part with it myself!) So that usually gets people to back off!!!

[Dludnerad]

I got more grief collecting toys when I was a kid than I do now as an adult.
At the moment I'm recollecting the Masters of the Universe line from MattyCollector.com.
The redesigned toys are gorgeous. It's like my old toys have grown up with me.
http://is.gd/htFkmP